NCCAM acknowledges that "rigorous, well-designed clinical trials for many CAM therapies are often lacking; therefore, the safety and effectiveness of many CAM therapies are uncertain. NCCAM is sponsoring research designed to fill this knowledge gap by building a scientific evidence base about CAM therapies—whether they are safe; and whether they work for the conditions for which people use them and, if so, how they work" (NCCAM. 2010. A note about safety and effectiveness. Retrieved from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/). .1
With any medical therapy, there may be risks. Potential integrative medicine clients may mitigate their risk by
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An emerging practice in integrative medicine is the Healing Circle. Some patients, typically with chronic diseases, have consulted with multiple conventional and CAM practitioners over the years with unsatisfactory results. The Healing Circle brings this patient in with three to eight practitioners from a variety of disciplines. The patient writes a statement of why they are requesting a healing circle and their physical, emotional, and spiritual autobiography. The patient also meets with a health guide or navigator in advance to determine which medical and health disciplines should be invited and each panelist reviews the patient's statements in advance.
The Healing Circle meets in person with the patient, health guide, and invited practitioners for approximately two hours in a private setting. After introductions, the patient describes why she has requested a circle and what her goals are. The practitioners address the patient directly about her health concerns, offering ideas about treatment strategies from his expertise. The health guide facilitates the discussion. The responsibility to help the patient is shared with all members of the panel and no one practitioner is responsible for finding a solution.
After the circle is completed, the health guide writes a summary of the practitioner's recommendations. No action is also an option. The health guide meets with the patient within two weeks of the healing circle to discuss next steps in her treatment plan.
Benefits from healing circles include
Few integrative clinics offer healing circles. Typically the practitioners are not compensated for their time.
Components of Integrative Health
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) categorizes the different modalities of integrative medicine in the following categories:
* Healing Circle*
An emerging practice in integrative medicine is the Healing Circle. Some patients, typically with chronic diseases, have consulted with multiple conventional and CAM practitioners over the years with unsatisfactory results. The Healing Circle brings this patient in with three to eight practitioners from a variety of disciplines. The patient writes a statement of why they are requesting a healing circle and their physical, emotional, and spiritual autobiography. The patient also meets with a health guide or navigator in advance to determine which medical and health disciplines should be invited and each panelist reviews the patient's statements in advance.
The Healing Circle meets in person with the patient, health guide, and invited practitioners for approximately two hours in a private setting. After introductions, the patient describes why she has requested a circle and what her goals are. The practitioners address the patient directly about her health concerns, offering ideas about treatment strategies from his expertise. The health guide facilitates the discussion. The responsibility to help the patient is shared with all members of the panel and no one practitioner is responsible for finding a solution.
After the circle is completed, the health guide writes a summary of the practitioner's recommendations. No action is also an option. The health guide meets with the patient within two weeks of the healing circle to discuss next steps in her treatment plan.
Benefits from healing circles include
Few integrative clinics offer healing circles. Typically the practitioners are not compensated for their time (Saputo, L. & Belitsos, B. (2009). A return to healing: Radical health care reform and the future of medicine. San Rafael: Origin Press).
An emerging practice in integrative medicine is the Healing Circle. Some patients, typically with chronic diseases, have consulted with multiple conventional and CAM practitioners over the years with unsatisfactory results. The Healing Circle brings this patient in with three to eight practitioners from a variety of disciplines. The patient writes a statement of why they are requesting a healing circle and their physical, emotional, and spiritual autobiography. The patient also meets with a health guide or navigator in advance to determine which medical and health disciplines should be invited and each panelist reviews the patient's statements in advance.
The Healing Circle meets in person with the patient, health guide, and invited practitioners for approximately two hours in a private setting. After introductions, the patient describes why she has requested a circle and what her goals are. The practitioners address the patient directly about her health concerns, offering ideas about treatment strategies from his expertise. The health guide facilitates the discussion. The responsibility to help the patient is shared with all members of the panel and no one practitioner is responsible for finding a solution.
After the circle is completed, the health guide writes a summary of the practitioner's recommendations. No action is also an option. The health guide meets with the patient within two weeks of the healing circle to discuss next steps in her treatment plan.
Benefits from healing circles include
Few integrative clinics offer healing circles. Typically the practitioners are not compensated for their time.
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There are several models of integrative clinics. Larger scale clinics associated through a university, such as Duke Integrative Medicine and UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine typically have a research wing. Other centers are associated with hospitals, such as Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in San Diego, CA. Some are independently-operated, such as The Alliance Institute for Integrative Medicine in Cincinnati, OH. These larger scale clinics have medical directors who are M.D.s and typically offer a wide range of services such as acupuncture, massage, energy work, biofeedback, nutritional counseling, and stress reduction. Many schools that teach each modality (such as an acupuncture school or massage school) have low-cost clinics.
Smaller integrative clinics may have independent practitioners working in the same office and referring clients to each other.
Individual practitioners of specific modalities may be working independently.
Components of Integrative Health
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) categorizes the different modalities of integrative medicine in the following categories:
There are several models of integrative clinics. Larger scale clinics associated through a university, such as Duke Integrative Medicine and UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine typically have a research wing. Other centers are associated with hospitals, such as Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in San Diego, CA. Some are independently-operated, such as The Alliance Institute for Integrative Medicine in Cincinnati, OH. These larger scale clinics have medical directors who are M.D.s and typically offer a wide range of services such as acupuncture, massage, energy work, biofeedback, nutritional counseling, and stress reduction. Many schools that teach each modality (such as an acupuncture school or massage school) have low-cost clinics.
Smaller integrative clinics may have independent practitioners working in the same office and referring clients to each other.
Individual practitioners of specific modalities may be working independently.
Integrative Medicine is based on understanding the whole person, not just the physical symptoms. Integrative Medicine is more than just adding up conventional and alternative therapies; it also involves figuring out what the underlying reasons are of why the client is ill and seeking the best solutions based on the client's personal beliefs and situation.
Many Integrative Medicine practitioners have several guiding principles behind their practice, and although they may vary in specifics, they all emphasize a partnership between the practitioner(s) and the client, the use of the body's innate healing response, a broad definition of health and disease that incorporates mind, body, and spirit, and openness to a broad range of modalities.
Some major principles of integrative medicine are:
The Bravewell Collaboration defines its principles of integrative medicine as
(Bravewell Clinical Network. (2007). Best Practices in Integrative Medicine: A Report from the Bravewell Clinical Network. Retrieved from http://www.bravewell.org/content/Downlaods/IntroSummaryBestPractices.pdf)
Integrative Medicine is based on understanding the whole person, not just the physical symptoms. Integrative Medicine is more than just adding up conventional and alternative therapies; it also involves figuring out what the underlying reasons are of why the client is ill and seeking the best solutions based on the client's personal beliefs and situation.
Many Integrative Medicine practitioners have several guiding principles behind their practice, and although they may vary in specifics, they all emphasize a partnership between the practitioner(s) and the client, the use of the body's innate healing response, a broad definition of health and disease that incorporates mind, body, and spirit, and openness to a broad range of modalities.
Some major principles of integrative medicine are:
(Lemley, B. (n.d.) What is Integrative Medicine? Retrieved on June 25, 2010 from http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02054/Andrew-Weil-Integrative-Medicine.html).
The Bravewell Collaboration defines its principles of integrative medicine as
Integrative medicine combines mainstream medical therapies and Complementary and Alternative therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.1
Integrative medicine is a phrase coined by Andrew Weil, MD, to signify the blending of conventional biomedicine with complementary and alternative medicine practices to return wholeness, balance, and support to the self-healing process. Integrative medicine recognizes both the wisdom traditions of diverse healing systems and the advancements in clinical practice, research, public hygiene, and technology of modern biomedicine and allopathic care.2 Dr. Andrew Weil goes on to clarify that integrative medicine as a "healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person (body, mind, and spirit), including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and makes use of all appropriate therapies, both conventional and alternative."3
There is no standard definition of Integrative Medicine and many different terms (integrative healthcare, integrated medicine, multidisciplinary care, holistic medicine) can describe the concept of melding complementary and alternative medicine with conventional medical care (Boon, H., Verhof, M., O'Hara, D., Findlay, B., & Majid, N. (2004). Integrative healthcare: Arriving at a working definition. Alternative Therapies, 10(5), 48-56). 6.
